A fan against intense heat for a heart patient... no air conditioning in apartment - SA Texas

Or a few minutes in the swimming pool is ok as long as he stays protected by the sun, 110F - SA Texas 2011

Panos Skoulidas

Heat Advisory

assignment

The US drought of 2011 will go down in history as one of the most severe natural disasters in decades. Beyond the financial impacts to farmers and ranchers, there is also a more far reaching impact to the overall quality of life to the inhabitants of the affected regions. As temperatures soar to over 100 degrees day after day for months on end, daily tasks become physical dares made between yourself and the heat. Pets, children, even the young and healthy struggle.

Shane Azar is 43. He is not healthy. Diabetic, overweight and recovering from recent open heart surgery, Shane has become a prisoner to the heat. Doctors have advised him to avoid the scorching sun because of potentially fatal reactions with his medications. His world is limited to the bed, a treasured fan, and a 5 minute daily dip in the pool in an effort to preserve his sanity.

Yea, great stuff. The top one especially. Beautiful photograph of a human body. The second one is funny. One might conclude that he’s been beating the heat by drinking Olympian quantities of lite beer.

Glad you did not find the second shot too daring in bad taste this time, David….

I like the implication from the text put next to the picture, that consumerism (maybe feeding, too much, or too badly) will not spare you from suffering in this life.
Panos, have you told Shane about Thailand? Same heat, same pool, but affordable air-con, non fattening food, and a chance of a smile on his face :-)))

Good morning everyone from Venice Beach!
Later I will link here all info I found.. Statistics, Heat related deaths..soaring triple digits, worst Drought in Texas in last decades..and much more.. In the meantime Texas governor- future president??? Asked from Texans to prey non stop for 3 days hoping for rain.. More more more soon!

Irony is that I shot the Texas photos few hours before I make it back to venice Beach.. And now here in the Beach , I got so lucky shooting the SURF..11 feet waves in Santa Monica and venice , 60F , the biggest waves venice seen in 20 years and one day ago… Just a day ago I was boiling in 110F Texas intense Heat.. Strange…!!!
Nature is powerful .. Either way.. HEAT or HURRICANE? what’s your preference???
Nature is the Ultimate Beast!

a dry winter… but joking aside I will take a hurricane. It passes you by if you are lucky but there is no scaping the heat!

Herve,

well Thai cuisine relies heavily on coconut milk no?
plus all those fried goodies you find all over the streets can make you bigger than that dude in no time if you are not careful. There are some obese people in Thailand…not everyone is thin.

Good start Panos, hope to see this develop. Jim P has written here about the debilitating effects of continuous heat in Texas and your photographs bear this out. One of the major stories of our time is Global Warming: I hope you get to tell the story of Global Warming Texas.

i can go on and on and on and on with links with HEAT RELATED deaths but im sure anyone can find even better info and statistics out there…i’d welcome more info/links if u, my friends out there can find more info..

Michael K, thank u for the link… yes TRUE STORY: mr. RICK PERRY , Texan governor , he declared state of emergency and 3 days of INTENSE PRAYER TO ASK GOD FOR RAIN!!!!!!!!!!?????????????
does this sounds like 2011 to you???

for high blood pressure, for Diabetes2, and much more that is after OPEN HEART SURGERY related stuff…
He had 2-3 holes in his heart since birth…
The Weather in San Antonio Texas can easily “kill” someone in Shane’s condition in minutes!

THE LOW TEMPERATURE THIS MORNING AT DFW AIRPORT WAS 83 DEGREES.
ALTHOUGH PRELIMINARY THROUGH MIDNIGHT CST…THIS WOULD SET A NEW
RECORD HIGH MINIMUM FOR SEPTEMBER 2. THE STANDING RECORD IS 82
DEGREES IN 1951.

great one-two punch…..really love the 1st image alot….the delerium of the fan, the swell of his innocent and loving vulnerability of his body, the innocence of the damn pillow covering his genitals (or maybe in that heat the fan is turned up to 11 and thus protecting those innocent jewells)…the scar after his surgery, and the angle you’ve shot it, …loving, innocent and also incredibly vulnerable….a very very strong picture Panos, that doesn’t even need the explanations to evoke it’s power and emotion..

.and love the green in both, typing up both….

and Panos, I’ve always hoped you’d share the film you made about Shane and his surgery….even more powerful having seen the film….

congratulations….it is what you do best, much more so than just all the pics of beer in venice…it is your open heart (so much different that the web persona) in your picture taking that always sings to me….as if in a sense in the best of your work, you always see your own reluctant but widely giving heart…

Love it – especially the first shot! What I want to know is, why no A/C? The apartment looks like a decent place, and has a pool – is the A/C broken, or an older apartment that does not have air conditioning? If so, is it the expense that makes it prohibitive for Shane? The reason I ask is that air conditioning would seem to be a must in Texas, and window units large enough to cool an apartment are very reasonable now… Just curious…

Justin, excellent question.
Yes there IS air conditioner in apt.. But but but, Shane has tremendous medical bills, barely anything left for rent, not working (hair dresser) too much and his power bill in Texas can be up to $200 if he use it.. Btw, air condition old, I wonder if it even works properly .. but honest truth can’t afford bills, especially after roomate left…

the film…at some point, yes i think you should…i don’t think you should in this context, because it’s different set of circumstances….and David done did right by putting both of these pictures together on the heels of Irene, pic of Michelle and the Tribes picture…threading through all these: the story of families and people in the face of Mother Earth and her power….so, i’d say instead to show more pics from this series or whatever you’ve shot relating to the Texas fire drought…

that first picture is a powerful single…and the dual (your humor) just adds so much to the vulnerability to both…and that’s wonderful….so the film another time….

so happy to see these 2….and the first brings a profound humanity to what ordinary folk struggle with beyond the fallen-on-deaf-ears of the political prayers…..

like i said, what is always best about the best of your work is your connection and your heart to those you shoot and are connected with….

Ok bob … I’m about to bite..
I have a whole essay ready about 50 photos.. Visited remote lakes and out of this world Texas heat little towns and ghost villages ..
I gotta talk with Maestro first though coz I don’t want to MIX or confuse anyone bringing the DROUGHT in the picture while my assignment was HEAT…
I ain’t gonna lie here although I’d love too: I did a lot of work on the TEXAS DROUGHT which u will see sooner or later but
But, but , … My assignment was HEAT ! not DROUGHT!
but again , TEXAS DROUGHT, 2011.. historic.. Crazy , unbearable even if YOU ARE THE MOST FIT, stronger person, athletic etc.. In this world..
It’s still a challenge..
Now imagine if you/anyone is/are a heart patient or a sick, patient of any kind…!!!

u did your assignment grand…it’s a great series about HEAT, …..heat and common folk….

now, the maestro is chief, but damn, i’d love also to see a 50 picture essay too about the heat and drought from skoulidas perspective…..then again, i aint the ordinary reader/viewer…give me long, give me wide :))))….

actually, as i told u once long ago, i’d love to see an entire story on shane…what he’s been through, all he fought back death, and how he’s surving in TX…..

either way, you brought us a photograph that is about heat and also about more: intimacy and vulnerability…..fan, jug of water, pillow between the legs, cell phone, remote and an ashtray filled with cigarettes from a coronary patient……

Great photos, Panos. The air conditioners have been running here non-stop all day and most of the night all summer. Breaks my heart to see the man suffering so much. Hard to stand up to this heat even if you are healthy. We are supposed to get some relief from the heat here in SE Texas this weekend. Highs of 87 to 90 degrees the next several days are predicted (much better than the 101 to 105 we’ve had all summer. Lows getting down into the mid 60’s. Hope San Antonio gets some relief as well. Unfortunately, the tropical storm is going into Louisiana and wan’t give us much rain relief.

Jim, yes!
In our building, St.Benedicts, dwntn SA, energy efficient building btw, is “burning”- air condition on 24/7, regardless bills etc.. Survive first, pay later..
And JIM thank you for confirming the situation coz you are born and raised (I think ) Texan , so you know , and your testimony here is important.. Yea it’s not “just another hot summer in Texas,it’s the REAL THING.. no joke… Dangerous but as DAH would say: also beautiful, lovely, interesting, amazing, blah blah.. And yes I do suffer when my friends suffer, and I’m not happy, not at all that one of my fav cities in the world like San Antonio is in such a big “weather trouble”…!

And I’ll br back in San antonio next Wednesday and I hope that the tropical storm “Lee” would come yo Texas and not ignore us again choosing another OBX hurricane appearance ..!:(
TEXAS NEEDS/ demands RAIN…NOW!!!!!!

first photo shot in 0’7” of a sec of F4 voigtlander skopar that om m8 is 27mm…
it was around 12pm, noon, time that Shane usually gets “eventually” out of bed…
pool shot was about an hour later..same lens , around F8, iso160..
tech talk?

And people wonder why we do the siesta thing over here in the Mediterranean area and have kids out of school for 3 months straight in summer… heath killing mostly elderly people and/or those with health conditions, like Shane..

Panos, I’m with Bill; heat and drought are definitely linked at least in the south west U.S.A. It’s a big story: limited resources, a population expecting a temperate region lifestyle in a semi-arid region, homes with lawns, golf courses with greens surrounded by desert, big water problems with residents and farmers both wanting the same resource etc. etc. I’d like to see some people who are living within the regions means i.e. exploiting its assets by using solar power, having a cactus garden that needs little watering etc. and the contrast of people who live as conspicuous consumers in a region that can’t support them for much longer. I’m sure that you are on it.

One year when I lived in southern Arizona we had just over 100 100 + degree days in a row. Yep, it sure got old, especially as September turned to October and halloween neared. Is it too humid for swamp coolers in San Antonio?

If you’re interested in background, check out “Killing the Hidden Waters” by Charles Bowden. I think it was his first book and he often refers to it as an example of what made him so pessimistic about humanity’s future. A good part of it concerns the Texas aquifer. These water-related disasters in the southwest are predictable, predicted actually. Much of the region is going to dry up and blow away. It’s not a question of if, but when. Yet the government policy remains one of encouraging obscene over-consumption of an unreplenishable resource.

“I’ll tell you where I went wrong. The faucet in the kitchen always becomes the reality we believe, and the periodic droughts, one of which for much of the nineties savaged the West, remain a fantasy. This happens each and every day as the water roars from the faucet and the skies remain dangerously blue.”

I love these two images! Classic Panos work and as Bob says your best work is with those you really care for. I also agree with Bob publish that video you showed me at the beginning of the year, it’s a work of art! So heartbreakingly funny and sad with all the real Panos tenderness. If it gets published on Burn, the servers will constantly be crashing due to traffic :) Oh and please show us your other Texas work, as I’m especially interesting in seeing your ghost town work.

MW, I remember reading a while ago (it must have been a photographer) who said that he often got asked by his former neighbours from the south west why he had moved north and he finally said (I paraphrase) that he thought he’d get out before the water ran out. This drew sharp intakes of breath from his audience and incredulity that he would think such a thing. “They would never allow it to run out” was the response. “Who are They”, he replied; noting that there had been no political action to address the problem.

Panos is onto a big story, one that he can work on over a period of years. The longer he works on it the more important the work will become. The best part of the essay is that he can divide it into separate sub-plots that can be marketed (can earn him money) separately but can be used again as part of the Big Picture. It’s the kind of essay that could win him a grant to produce / finish.

I know that Magnum photographer Ian Berry is working on a long-term essay with a working title of “Water” with which he explores how some countries have too much and some too little. Water wars are predicted in some parts of the globe.

Stories like this make me doubly grateful that I live in Canada, home of a fairly moderate climate – at least in the southern parts – and free medicare. The high cost of medical care is often ignored up here, simply because it doesn’t show up in the hospital bills we never receive. But opposite the American system, our problem is the long wait times for operations in particular, and hospitalization in general. It has a little bit to do with the number of Canadian medical students, who, upon graduation, fly to the States for the higher income. What’s interesting is that both systems create hardships for the disappearing middle class. The rich becoming richer and the poor becoming poorer, is one of the things that angers me the most about North American society.

Panos, a question: Shane looks as if he is going through one of the worst times of his life; how did you meet him, and engage with him well enough that he would allow you to take these intimate pictures?

Mike R,
Ok let me clear something up and set things straight..
I’m sure DAH will jump in at some point but yes, Heat or Water or Stanley’s truth that
Research
Research research and more research is necessary ..
I just scratched the surface..if so!!!
couple days ago I got a call from DAH right before he gets into plane to make it to Europe for BURN.02 presentation asking me if up for an ASSIGNMENT ON DEMAND:”HEAT”!!!!??
DAH said: “ok u got 24 hours , go…let’s see what u can produce under stress..!!?”

Quick pause and rewind…
4-5 years ago it all started the exact same way:
DAH GIVING 10 ASSIGNMENTS to 10 different photogs..
He assigned VENICE BRACH to me and that’s how it all started..
Since then I submitted a few ideas and been published numerous times blah blah etc..
Again,
This time was NO SUBMISSION from my part! The HEAT idea was not mine although I’d love to,no no..
The HEAT idea was DAH’s request..
DAH assigned this to me and I had a few hours to pull it before I get into the plane to go to LA..

Of course the first thing came to my mind is to shoot the DROUGHT..
but the DROUGHT is a RESULT of HEAT..
so the ASSIGNMENT was way trickier than I originally thought..
I was keep thinking of dried lakes and dead animals on the side of the streets and
newspaper shots like that and couldn’t pull it for hours and hours..
After hours of desperation , I realized that I’m more of a people’s “person”..
I need to shoot “REAL” folks, “real” stories, if I wanted to “keep it real”..!
So then I thought of Shane!
Human, friendship, love, feelings, fear, hate, friendship..!

Jeff :)…
Great question.. The very reason I ever made it to Texas in the first time around last Xmas was Shane’s HEART SURGERY..
Shane , also a Diabetic, was a friend of mine since year 2000, living and working in California but moved to San Antonio Texas almost 5 years ago since doctors found holes in his heart ( he was born with this condition ).. His parents sold house and business in LA and moved very close to the MEDICAL CENTER in SA Texas.. Shane literally lives walking distance from all the Major SA Hospitals , like the University Hospital ( the one that successfully operated on him last year- almost a year ago!)
I came to SA coz when I was in Greece actually shooting- I’ll never forget that one day I got his email saying.. ” I’m going for Major Surgery , OPEN HEART..
I decided to visit and stay with him around the holidays (last Xmas)and take care of his pets and offer my friendship etc.. Weeks later in Texas, after subconsciously snapping photos daily, I realized that I would like to do a story about his life, his medical challenges, adventures etc..
And I made a short iPhone movie which I also sent in couple friends here I trust their opinion like Nob, Paul, Ross and couple more friends just to get feedback ..
DAH. “kinda liked it”- short movie , but he found it too long and disjointed .. Yes I needed to re work the whole short movie and make it tighter and faster.. That project never ended btw, still in progress still editing ( missing serious movie editing software etc..;)…

Soooo back to Jeff!
Yes I photographed the surgery hard days and our friendship but that was last year..
Last winter was challenging for Shane once again! He had to do a second operation (last February) and he is recovering since! Ex bad boy- smoker- biker etc..
But habits is as hard to beat as INTENSE HEAT..
and both cost.. His apt is not weather sealed, power leaks etc, super expensive bills even in a relatively cheaper city like SA Texas..
Anyway , that’s how I got the access..: through FRIEND SHIP!
And just like our health or friendships is/are a work in progress so is my HEAT research ..
Just started..

Again, it was not a SUBMISSION of my previous work to BURN.
it was a straight up assignment from
DAH and I had very limited time..around 48 hours!

Panos, thanks for the info, you obviously came up with the goods, otherwise it wouldn’t be up here and I think that you got it right by concentrating on the human drama that the heat has created. Still think that you could run with this: I know that you can only show so many dry lakes etc. but the human drama will be the key in my opinion.

Sorry ALL FOR TYPOS..
no laptop , I’m on “autofill”, iPhone mode so Bob becomes nob and my mystery becomes misery..
Again sorry for typos.. iPhone is infamous of how to turn a mistake into a disaster:)

ASSIGNMENT ON DEMAND 24Hours and Panos once again has proved he can bring back the work, with his signature style, feeling and look. Let’s see if editors surfing round here looking for talent stop and open there eyes and see PANOS!!

That’s okay, Panos. Surfing is what got me started in photography – I wanted to take pictures like those I saw in Surfer magazine. I haven’t surfed in decades. I want to again, though – someplace warm, with warm water. But I want to surf here, too, in Alaska. The sport has been growing in popularity, but, as with just about everything in Alaska, the good surf spots are difficult and expensive to reach.

Maybe it is just another dream that will not happen, but I am not ready to let go of it.

sorry for not being around much in last days, but my travel schedule was a bit crazy ..Korea, fly back to hurricane at home, to France and Burn 02 launch, and quickly back to U.S. for family wedding…that is the very short version, but i am sure you get the idea if you do not already know..even for me way over the top…heading home tomorrow and have two or three weeks to chill…

i do not know if this has been discussed above, for i am out of the loop with comments, but the Panos heat wave pictures were a direct assignment from Burn..Panos was commissioned, paid by Burn, to shoot the heat in Texas and this is what he did..so like a newspaper assignment really..something we can afford, and something Panos could do with minimal expense…it worked…i told Panos to shoot one picture or ten..no matter…we mutually decided on these two ….he had several more that showed more drought than heat, but we did not quite have enough for an entire essay..job done..simple

the point is , i think we will do more of this newspaper type local one day shoot assignments…i started thinking , wait we have Burn photographers all over the world, why not cover some things?? just for fun and because we can … and at least a bit of money for the photographer…Panos did the same thing in Greece last year for the riots….and for the portrait of Alec Soth..why Panos? well, because he is on it..ready to move quickly, gets the picture, get it fast and to me fast and ready to go…HE DELIVERS..with minimal fuss….actually no fuss….is he the only one who can deliver?? i sure hope not..

i want to assign others..but it does bring up something that every editor knows..few can deliver ON DEMAND..i mean, everybody has some fine pictures in their portfolio..yes, everybody….yet few can walk out the door and shoot something really good NOW…or have an idea that works…don’t believe it? try it…but that is pro photography in general..this does NOT MEAN that is the only barometer for a good photographer..it just means it is a barometer for a certain kind of photographer who wants to earn their living as a photographer….so many fail to see this basic concept ..i bring this up now having seen quite a few portfolios in Perpignan…

we also have another self assigned piece, turned assignment, coming from Michael Webster…his idea, fast contact with me, i approve, and you will see this soonest…

Diego Orlando just texted me that all of the copies he brought with him to Perpignan ( i think 75 copies) have been sold…with a line of folks wishing they could have bought one…they were going out of our hands one after the other when i left just hours after the launch at the evening slide show…Diego put i think 15 in the bookstore and they all were gone in an hour…of course , Anton, Diego and i were there to sign, so this is always an incentive..but what got to all of us in a very emotional way was not the rapid sales of BURN02 but the fact that everyone seemed so moved by it..we are happy to have it sell because we have a huge printing bill for it in Italy…smiling..but 02 is not about biz, but just about pride….ok, i will not say any more about it….

i will do one dialogue post about 02 and i am sure it will be gone…you will see why…no, not that you will like everything in it…but honestly, there is nothing like 02 out there..just isn’t….ask any of the photogs and editors who were at Perpignan..major magazine editors, iconic photogs from every agency and most importantly from all those who are NOT big magazine editors and famous photographers, but from passionate young photographers who feel they at least have a chance at this venue…my goal all along…anyway, i cannot do this post just yet…we need a paypal button which Anton is working on, and we need to get about half of the 1000 print run shipped to the U.S….

wishing all of you the very best…cool things happening for all of us…and i mean all of us…if you have any passion, guts, talent energy, and drive to do something with your work, you can do it here right now…you absolutely 100% cannot complain there is no place for your work…can we publish everybody? of course not…can we publish the very best work from this audience?..yes we damned will can and we will…

in any case, many many thanks for all of your support since Road Trips days…what a wild wild ride!!

get down here in the warmer waters..come to my house…we have the Gulfstream ..warm…nice waves…no fighting for a spot…everybody gets to ride…and if no waves, then you kite board…and if no wind and no waves, then sit on my front porch and have a beer…work for you??

What I meant was those magazine editors/publishers searching for talent. Of course I didn’t stop to think that perhaps Panos has no interest in working for anyone else but Burn…
So I apologise if I’ve offended you and Panos :)
I for one would be extremely happy being published on Burn online and book wise one day and I think most of my photographic goals would be fulfilled…

i think we have a lost in translation moment….?? …nobody is offended….i was just curious what you were thinking….and i surely hope Panos does work for magazines other than Burn..Burn is a catalyst, not an end game for all….i try to help Panos and Anton and Erica and Patricia, and Bob get published in magazines other than Burn…i work on this every day….don’t you remember Panos’ amazing portfolio in the Turkish magazine IZ? Bob and Patricia looking terrific on Visura ..Erica on Lensblog..etc etc etc..

my point was , and got lost because of its brevity, is that the worst thing that can happen to any photographer is to get published a lot of bad pictures in really famous big time magazines…or, should i say bad edits in famous magazines…you would be amazed at how a really great take can get destroyed by the wrong editing…i know this is not what you are suggesting, i am only adding that one must beware at the beginning of a career not to get too too attracted by the wrong thing..

so i recommend always always going for a quality assignment/or publication for a smaller magazine rather than a bad assignment for a big magazine ..obviously we all want great assignments from great magazines..but you must be very very careful how you are perceived..

once you are a journeyman photographer , it is almost impossible to break out of that perception…so, i am just suggesting caution in jumping to an assignment just because it is from a super power publisher….

one of the most respected photographers here on Burn and who was an EPF finalist some time ago was published in the NYT and everybody congratulated and i was scratching my bald head because they were TERRIBLE pictures in the NYT…not even close to the work of this photographer in reality..so i could not figure out the gain..there was no gain..there was a loss…

i realized that some were more impressed with the fact that this photographer was in the NYT then the fact that the pictures were actually not even close to this photographers talent..and trust me no editor or curator from any other magazine would even have looked twice even though it was the NYT..you must manage how and where you are published very carefully…

but look out there? i mean honestly,where would you like to be published? there is work, and then there is YOUR WORK…and the other thing , the reality is , and as it should be, you can only really have one or two or maybe max three real sponsors out there..for example, and to oversimplify to make a point, Nacthwey had Time, Salgado had the New York Times….both published in both places, BUT we also always had one major sponsor…one real home…you would never have seen Nachtwey in Newsweek for example…

you do not want assignments from everybody…you might think you do, but you do not really…then you get spread too thin…you might want to shoot a story that gets placed with everybody, but usually your source of income is from one major sponsor…UNLESS you can finance yourself and then sell to everyone…unlikely except in rare cases…

Yes that is very good food for thought and I must admit I had never looked at it from your very wise point of view.
On the point about of “few can deliver”… Are there also great photographers who were useless or not interested in “delivering” and had to work their way and only at their rhythm and what inspired them? You once mentioned Koudelka as someone you would never give an assignment…

yes, absolutely….Koudelka remains a good example..Anders Peterson another…d’Agata another…again, i was just looking at this from an assignment point of view…

almost every great photographer is going to work best “only at their rhythm and what is inspiring to them”…so this is not exclusive to the ones i just listed above..

it is just that some enjoy assignments, get an education from those assignments, perhaps need to earn a living, and are capable of doing them…most of the best invent and propose their commissioned assignments….yet the “capability” is not a mark of greatness nor a subtraction thereof either…just look at the history of painting..same thing…some greats did commissions , some greats did not…most wanted to….i should mention also for your reference that there are some who can ONLY work on assignment as well and will rarely, if ever, launch off on a personal project and yet their work is personalized, stylized , authored….like Bill Allard, maybe Nachtwey…

going back to Panos, i recognized his work when i first assigned him Venice…first i tried to get him into doing something with Americans and their love of cars..that did not inspire him even though he loved cars…remember at that time he was driving a tow truck and i kept trying to get a handle on him and what he should do…then i said , just shoot what you do, what is around you..Venice emerged..still i did not see him doing assignments, just expressing himself..later, i realized he could also deliver…a pleasant surprise…yet still, and this goes for everyone, Panos must be assigned the right subject, not just any subject…you do give Allard a natural history story, and you do not give Panos a sports story and nobody ever thought to give me a science story….right person on right subject…however that come down is the right way…

Gotta agree on that sports thing..
I tried to shoot a charity Lakers game once .. Lol.. I will never forget that game.. Still film era..1999,
Someone lent me a sigma 28-200f5.6 and an old vivitar and…and..and,
bottom-line , never got another “assignment” from that little studio ever again…:)
But shooting my hip hop music heroes sustained my photo-Hapiness for a long time until I realized/learned/INFORMED by David Alan Harvey and the Roadtrips back then (now BURN- for whoever just turned their TV on) that there is something called the Mirror..
THE MIRROR….
and that worked for me..
Of course that “mirror” thing, has nothing to do with the above talk (Nachtwey or Koudelka style, assignment able/Interested or not)..
And then we have the HYBRID- newer style like David Alan Harvey that can do both..
BOTH? yes BOTH!
Nat geo “Rio on demand” but at the same time “RIO from the Heart”… That would be my dream.. To be able to do some assignments in a PERSONAL way/voice..
I agree that when i/we are so eager to be published that we wouldn’t hesitate to let editors gives us the Reputation of the Mediocre .. and then we stuck with it for life..
Yes true, few bad photos in NYT and you stuck with the bad reputation for ever..
On the other hand you all know how much I love Nikos Economopoulos for example..
Last year while I briefly assisted him in his workshop in Istanbul told me two major things that totally sounded DAH to me:
First he (Nikos) stopped accepting assignments from ANY/ALL major newspapers ( see reasons above- low quality editors- publish low quality work-blah blah), so he decided to stop hurting his own rep..
And Lesson number 2 was that, not everyone succeeds in
Everything .. Even the iconics.. Like Nikos..! For example he mentioned an assignment once (not sure if it was self assigned or not) but Nikos found himself in Japan and convinced himself to stay and do the STORY! “I tried tried and tried” Nikos told me.. Nothing , week after week.. He “failed” not only photographically but mainly he failed to immediately recognize that he COULD NOT CONNECT..
as Nikos insists the reason he stays around middle east only, is not so much getting out of the comfort zone fear etc but mainly because he is wise enough to know that he can do a killer workshop in Istanbul for example but a not so great one in Tokyo or Venice Beach..
Good to know who we are.. Good to push our limits and good to have a small idea where those limits are , so we can figure out our mirror , see our image and shoot it.. A great photo for me is still deep deep inside nothing but a SELF PORTRAIT..
Yes I know we all know that it’s “deeper” than simply

PAUL,
I agree YES I CARE ABOUT BURN more than all the other publications out there PUT TOGETHER..
No offense at any level.. but being on IZ/FOTOGRAFEVI for example is not a contradiction..
I would accept any assignment as long as it “moves” me..
I would never follow Perry or Obama around…nor that they need me either..lol they have “their” people for that.. That’ll make them look good etc..
But I would love if I had the chance to do the inauguration or even if it’s SPORTS I’m so interested in soccer crowds/fans psychology than simply make sure u got that GOAL.. the
MONEY SHOT as my fellow wedding photogs love to call it!
So again yes I’d accept assignment FROM EVERYBODY as long as its assigned/coming from BURN..(smiling!!!)

P.S: speaking of Roadtrips and DAH…
If it wasn’t for Venice assignment back in the day given by DAH, I doubt if i would ever be able to believe in myself as much as today ..I’d definitely wouldnt last much longer around that Newspaper World anyways.. Bringing morals/quality down.. I was tired, exhausted, NO DIRECTION .. period..
Now the skies are clear..
Now I know a little bit more about who I am..and that’s HUGE!
thanks Maestro!

I agree with your experience with RoadTrips and Burn…
my sky is just as clear yours and that’s thanks to RoadTrips, everyone and everything on Burn…
From now on I’m going to be me and I’m so much happier!!
I’m now hard working on my essay and it’s about me and my eyeball kicks…

Michael K.. Yes , I love weddings as a guest shooter too coz I like people.. And NOT bashing wed photogs or any other hard working community for this matter.. Whatever feeds the kids first ..not kidding..
Happy memorial weekend y’all !

Shooting sports? Oh yeah, that’s one of my ongoing projects.. doing it my way.. so much that when DAH browsed briefly through the pics on the iPhone he told me: you need an action picture, something that shows what this is about.. all I had printed and scanned and packed on the phone was indeed sport, but not ABOUT sport.. did have the action pics.. on the negatives, at home, never thought of printing them.. freedom of choice and being.. bliss!

Thanks all for these comments and the insight up here.. one reason why Burn is BURN!

10:30am in California, Venice Beach, Memorial Weekend, the highest Surf that venice faced the last 20 years..Bill, knows what im talking about..got lucky? coincidence? who cares…im happy to go shoot..i’ll be in the phone checking in and out (if AT&T allows of course) and shooting the waves…

Paul, Civi, thanks. That’s actually half pit bull half English bulldog. I made a few edits since the original link. Different red nose photo, more toes for Civi. Here (might have to clear your cache).

And Paul, one photo is with the new camera. I just got it Thursday and it’s pretty complicated so I didn’t expect to use it in real life, but towards the end after I felt like I’d got about all I was going to get I used it some. It actually handled very well. Of course I’m somewhat used to the Fuji way of thinking since my “black and white” camera is a crappy old Fuji with ridiculously slow, practicably unusable autofocus. By those standards, the x100 screams. I suspect it will become my main camera once I get set up with appropriate filters and flash.

There will none of this sort of thing this year, as the aunts and uncles have decided to grace me with their presence today and since slaughtering one’s family is frowned upon by the authorities, even when they do something as egregious as disrupting one’s plans to photograph hot Brazilian babes in Manhattan, I am stuck at home with kith and kin, neither of whom I have much use for.

Hmmm… Tough one Mike.. I think in the “newer” posted photo the “struggle” to even back , get in,get out the pool and at same time trying to hold a heavy umbrella and other paraphernalia .. It doesn’t look like a typical pleasant day in the pool to me.. Although u r right too.. The first photo I posted , him sitting it’s also gritty and sad.. Tough choice..
I’ll wait for DAH to chime in later on that , whenever gets available and see his opinion too..Curious!

David – that actually sounds wonderful! Looks like I will be seeing you in New York instead – but that will be fun, too.

Panos – Wish I could be there, to see and photograph that surf. I would like to ride it, too, but it has been so long since I have even taken a swim I would probably drown.

MW – As a reformed despiser of cats, I will be most interested in your essay. You know I will be in New York very soon. You could take a picture of me and say, “here is reformed cat disperser: thanks to the misquided teachings he was subjected to in his childhood, he claimed to hate the damn things, and then one day a cat stepped out of the woods, ate his ham, moved in and that was that.”

I jokes – about the part where you take a pic of me. I never really did hate cats. I tried to, sometimes I even convinced myself that I did, but in fact, it was all an act – a defensive shield thrown up in response to those loving but misquided teachings of my childhood.

Just came back from 4 very inspiring days in Perpignan…. First and foremost, it has been a real pleasure to meet again with many BURN friends I had not seen in a while… Audrey, Laura, Anton, Diego, Laura (El-Tantawy), James, Jenny, Patricio… I am sure I am missing a few… I had some special moments like discovering the handmade book of Audrey about her parents and of course Burn 02… a superb magazine that Diego has put together with David…. As I told him, he has once again raised the bar and seeing the work of some of you together with special exclusive essays of Pellegrin, Gilden etc is a real treat… I am sure many of you will order it on-line… Having my copy signed by Paolo, David, Anton and Diego made it very special indeed….

Beyond meeting these friends, Perpignan is also the opportunity to be inspired by the work of some of the greatest photographers…. Was able to meet and listen to Yuri Kozyrev who received the highest award for his work of the Arab spring (see link underneath)… Nothing more deserved.. the work of Yuri stands above all others….

Another highlight for me was to meet and also listen to Barbara Davidson who was presenting her work on victims of crossfire in LA (link again underneath)… great lady and very inspiring work…. Those of you who have not yet seen the work should see the multimedia piece…

I was able to also listen to Paolo Pellegrin who was presenting his work of the past 10 years to a limited audience in the Canon reserved area… Such a humble and real person… true talent for sure… Listening to hi, was a privilege….

Finally, it was great to see you DAVID…. spending that afternoon/evening with you and the BURN crew was a real pleasure… I always come out full of energy after seeing you…. All of us present were very proud to see the special projection of 5 BURN essayists on the large screen on Campo Santos in Perpignan… Burn has gone a long way since that evening in your loft where it all started (gosh, is this already 3 or 4 years ago???)… You, Anton, Diego have every reason to be very proud….

My message will not be long as I am heading to Cincinnati for almost 2 weeks leaving at 6am tomorrow so I better get some sleep… I might try to see my boxing friends while there…. funny circle, going back to where I worked on this essay for you at the time of Road Trips… I know you will continue to be looking at assignments in the future… I move at the speed of a turtle given my day job but, if you have the patience, I hope I get a chance to take on another one together :):)… Will stay in touch for sure….

Eric, I’m glad u posted this..
Yes..yea…Roadatrips… Seems so long ago but it’s not .. It’s really not..
Or maybe is it?
Time flies..
I found Scotty the” King of All Veterans of Venice” DEAD, not long ago, frozen in a bus station (Main Street-Venice xing S.Monica..last January..
Just informed about another vampire’s death in venice..
Things change..change-Ed..
We even having a “new Jim Morrison” in venice now..
So yes..
ERIC,
can’t wait to hear your Cincinnati report..

we looked at doing a whole essay on drought/heat..yes, of course they flow together…first i asked Jim Powers to do the same assignment..asked him since he lives right in the middle of it and is a bona fide newspaper photographer..i guess Jim just did not have time…so i then assigned Panos…

in any case, the first picture of Panos is clearly the best picture i received from anybody on Texas heat/drought…with the pool shot sort of as an addition…there are other pictures of other subjects of course but both Panos and i agreed he did not have a full essay…publishing the others would only have taken away from this one great shot…however, if you want to see why we made the decision we made you can surely get Panos to show you…

one of the very funny things here as editor is that if we publish one really good picture, folks want to see “the rest of them” …assuming somehow there are more…as if we would leave good pictures out……on the other hand, if we publish more , as in an essay, then folks think the essay is “too long”…ahhh the joys of editing!! :) smiling..all good stuff…and you know damn well i do not pay attention to comments anyway…anybody who did that would be bald

There’s another reason for wanting to see it all.. it’s like with contact sheets, one (I at least) can learn a lot more by seeing what was left out, knowing what the subject matter was like in this case, or seeing the choice made for a book or an exhibit, than by seeing only THE picture..

sure i understand .. But that is a classroom exercise , a workshop experience .. Not exactly what we can do directly or should do directly in front of thousands on Burn . But it is of course what I do with so much of my time as a mentor.. On skype, in class, and working with photographers here all the time… Burn is totally built as an educational platform.. That is why I take the time to jump in on comments.. But the real editing/choosing process is a one on one personal experience..shared by the few in a classroom environment or on skype… But as much as I agree with you on the value of this I just don’t see how it can be a part of the actual publication.. There is backstage rehearsal and practice.. Then there is the on stage play.. Burn is the onstage play yet with backstage access for those who really want to know…as you!!

quick note about publishing in BURN versus other places….i’ve got much catching up to do (including my baggage which was lost), but do want to chime in here….hope this makes sense…

I see and feel BURN as a unique unique place, have from Day 1. I’ve explained this too to alot of photographers, both young ones who i speak with and mentor and many many professionals with whom i have friendships. In fact, when David graciously published BONES OF TIME here 2 years ago, a few of my friends in the states and Europe kind of poo-poo’d me (though many now want a seat at the BURN table, how ironic) as they said ‘it’s only an online magazine.’ I told them, ‘you’ve got to be kidding me.’ BURN, even then, represented A LOT and so much more. and now look, at all the online magazines that have followed suit. Andy Levin’s great 100 eyes followed suit (and works a different vein) and Adriana and Graham’s great Visura has followed in its wake to be another great magazine and the list goes on and one, even foto8 (which poo-poo’d David and Anton’s win for the Lucie award) now devotes alot of time and energy to their online presence. ROAD TRIP and BURN had profound foresight about the nature of the publication (web, ipad, etc). More than that, even before suche great online social funding outfits like Kickstarter and the like, Road Trip crowd sourced as did BURN. Burn has put money (grants/assignments) in people’s pockets but more importantly as gotten editors and gallerists and other photographers to look at work. Beginning with the first EPF, the list of winners and finalists have really done well and have a place at the table.

My own commitment to BURN comes from my belief in David’s vision and his unstinting love of photography and photographers and helping them. Before I met David, i too had exhibited (us, canada, asia) and published my work, but it never felt as good or communal as when doing something for burn. My EPF submission in year 1 was born from David’s group Assignment (not money, just a task) from Road Trips: shoot something meaningful in a short period of time. I show 5 rolls of film over 10 days of a group of Asian students preparing to leave canada. It was a finalist and also shown at Look3. I had no ambition for it except to be apart of david’s group of friends/phtoographers. Later, the work was expanded and featured in a solo show for Toronto’s Nuit Blanche a year later (100 photos). Bones of Time came from another David Harvey call out to do something. That work was later published by Burn and parts of which were exhibited. That lead to Visura asking for a story, which i made for them, and the 1st epf also lead to being asked by a Turkish Photomagazine for the original EPF work to published (one edition after they’d published Michael Ackerman).

Since then, my commitment to David and Anton has been to try to encourage and find young photographers to submit to BURN. Some of these photogrpahers have been published here and some (like jukka) have been epf finalists etc. It feels good because David really is about getting eyes to see work, and all kinds of work, period. Anton has gone on to become a great photographer with a book and with assignments and with big and essential respect). I’ve continued to be committed to Burn now as both a writer (maybe too long of a commentator ;)) ) for the work that gets published. I want to lend to David and the audience my support (financial) and emotional (photocritiques) to show others that BURN is soo much more: is really a vehicle for photography, for discussion, for editors, for eyes…and now for BOOKS!…

It’s funny to me, because in truth I no longer care about where i publish. In truth, i’d be content if i only published photoessays at BURN. Because for me, it isn’t how much you publish what what and where and why. My photographic heart now belongs to BURN because i see BURN and its incredible evolution as a place that we should all support. Many of the photographers i hoped would get published haven’t yet (that’s no problem, that’s the world) but they all are loyal supporters of BURN and LOVe what burn continues to accomplish. Visura grants also used david’s model of giving back to phtoographers.

I’ve been at work for a few years now on my Russian book (picture book) and i’m in now rush, but in the middle of working on it 16 months ago, i thought, how can i do something photographic for BURN that isn’t really about submission. So i gave myself an assignment and promised that when the work was finished i would only give it to BURN, no one else. EXCLUSIVE. I didn’t care if i was paid, i only wanted the audience to know that BURN is so important that a photograph can make a project with only BURN in mind. i finished the project and sent it to david. though i did post some pictures (a few) on facebook, the story is exclusive and will always be for BURN. The reason?

Because what better way for people and editors to understand the power and commitment of a magazine then if the photographers commit themselves. I like James Estrin alot (and have spoken with him on the phone) but given the NYTimes or BURN to publish, i’d take Burn. Home is where the heart is. I’m not interested in giving or making work except work that I can have the freedom to make and then share it with those who i feel connected with. My own photographic work is not terribly important or socially important, but it is a reflection of (i hope) my life’s probity: telling stories about one guys life with the family and friends around.

And that is what makes BURN and BURN01, BURN02, ODO YAKUTZA TOKYO so special…..they were born from work from the heart that had no greater ambition that to tell a story and stay firm in its resolution to enlarge the world for other photographers…..

even if i never publish anything anymore at BURN, BURN will always remain my grounding (and the place where i can write long posts ;)) )…..

and that is a great feeling to have :))
hugs
bob

p.s. oh and i did forget to mention the INCREDIBLE project that EPF FINALISTS and BURNIANS erica mccdonald and andrew sullivan have done with DEVELOP…another example of how david’s belief and attitude and spawned more giving back…i love their project!

My interest in seeing a wider cross-section of Panos’s shoot has noting to do with second guessing
the choices presented.
I was just curious as to how he approached the topic- kinda like looking at a contact sheet and
seeing the evolution of an idea.

As well, Panos has had a pretty public ‘growth’ here since the early days on Road Trips with
what has been published here and from the links to his images that he has included in his posts
over the years. Much of the ‘mentoring’ has been available for all to see and has been interesting
to watch him develop from that sometimes miserable,foul-mouthed punk from the early days to the
more mature,more visually articulate photographer he has become.

Sure, in a workshop/classroom it is (would be) perhaps more appropriate.. but in this case, with Panos here having put up a first choice, and then exchanged one picture, him explaining how everything came together, and Panos being Panos (openminded and a good sport), the behind the scenes are somewhat already on stage here.. grateful for that!

But apart from this being the right place or not, books like HCB’s ‘Scrapbook’ (which was an eye opener for me, and brought me huge relief in seeing that it’s hardly ever just THE pic, but that THE pic comes out of a train of thought/working around.. yes, I know, something YOU already knew, but someone like me without education whatsoever in photography if not looking at others work cannot know) and on the other hand Anton’s postings first, then his 893 and after that his book, showing the whole way, are great great tools and very interesting to follow.. and fun too..

All this, to me, can come without a word, only the photographs (like the rough edit you made of some of my work), and then trying to figure out the how and why by myself.. anyway, the time you take to make all this work is very much appreciated! Very.. and much :)

p.s. I let you guess where I will stop by on my way up to Zurich on Sunday.. gotta pick up something :)

Panos, thanks for the quick response to my question. Even though knowing Shane certainly helps in your “Heat” assignment, what really works in the bedroom shot is the potency of all the things for us to consider. Yes, the theme of heat is there in its oppressive glory; it makes me just a little uncomfortable to see Shane at the edge of his endurance, and the lack of (?) a bed under-sheet sends it over the top. There is also the brilliant stroke of moving the idea indoors – who would have thought that one up? Not me. It looks stifling, claustrophobic, almost hallucinogenic. Heaping Shane’s state of health on top of all that makes me take a trip down Dante’s Inferno, descending the layers of Hell. A very effective shot.

What is equally ingenious, and maybe a happy co-incidence, is the way in which you have married the physical, humanistic, editorial and photojournalistic notes here. Some believe that there are certain limits in journalism with both the written and photographed story. I’m not too sure the limits exist, although I can appreciate the difficulties overlapping them. Your image to me is that bridge – I don’t envy you your follow-up.

Jeff…yes, Heat is a bit tricky as a picture.. Because the first thing I also thought is “bring it outside”.. Dead fish, dry lakes, drought, fire, dryness .. Sun , fountains , sexy bikini at the beach etc..and later I just did the exact opposite… I “brought it all inside”…
Actually at this point I shot the photo , Shane was STILL NOT in my plans..
I was going to the dentist which was 2 blocks from Shane’s building and I was also returning his key..
I had the spare key so I was about to return it.. That’s how/why I “caught him in bed”, undressed..
Otherwise he would have been dressed ( at least minimally) just to answer the door…
While I opened door with my spare key he was still asleep … Pretty much his natural state since last Xmas .. And what I saw HIT ME.. that’s it..
That’s the photo , I thought to myself.. That’s IT…
I immediately looked for my camera… It was still in the car.. I ran to the car as fast as i could coz I didn’t even have enough time to explain nor I wanted him to move or change position..
So I shot about 4 shots and then after he got his time to get up, talked about the WEATHER (AS ALWAYS) , talked about the HEAT, BURN etc..
Then I followed him in the pool..
I just went along.. Didn’t pose him, didn’t ask him to be a clown, nor to undress or look sad or pity..
Actually he had 5 minutes of good fun in the pool and I hope he also enjoyed our talk..so that’s the story morning glory! Nothing posed (especially the Indoors one coz there’s nothing really to pose in the Pool one)
Now I’m still on iPhone but I would love to show you the edit link..
And see the photos left out!
I’ll find it somehow!
Good morning All Labor Day
VENICE BEACH, CA!

akaky: sadly for those guys i mentioned, their behavior and attitude was silly, so I implied both their suggestions by combining both meanings of the 2 works……Pun + Homophone (NOT to be confused, since you’re getting all oed on me, with homonym or homograph)….didn’t Akaky IRL teach you anything!

…….so, when are you ever going to remember i’m a writer and combine words, punningly, often….geeeeezzzz dad, i didn’t think it had to be spelled out! ;))))))))))

AKAKY IRL: i guess i now know where i get my naught g(j)e(a)nes from ;)))))))

PANOS:

whether 2 pics or 25 pic essay, love that you got the assignment and showed the doubters….after all the great ‘portraits’ from Venice + some of my fave portraits from Turkey + Greece and then Soth portrait and Shane’s portraits….i’m starting to think maybe the Panos book shouldn’t be Venice, but a book of your environmental portraits…like from the photo/studio thing you did in Compton, etc…make sense? :)))…either way, happy always to see this and also that as a published author here you bring the conversation with your publications…something i always love when those published do :)))))))

Also, an announcement for the Burn crew: you will be getting invites from me to join me on my LinkedIn network. Ignore them. I signed up because someone on FB sent me an invite to join their professional network and I thought why not, do someone a favor for once. So I signed on to LinkedIn. LinkedIn promptly sent invites to everyone on my email contact list, something I should have stopped before it happened. The reason for this is that I keep Akaky, Akaky IRL, and anything having to do with them rigidly separated from the rest of my life and for the most part this works. I would venture to say that the family, friends, professional colleagues, and occasional acquaintances of everyone whose work Mr Harvey published in Burn 01 knows that they were published in the inaugural issue. Everyone, that is, except my family, friends, professional colleagues, and occasional acquaintances. Nobody, absolutely nobody, knows that I’m in Burn 01 and that’s the way I intend to keep matters. I am happy that Mr Harvey put me in Burn 01, but that’s news for me and me alone. The problem with LinkedIn is one of the six degrees of separation. I don’t know if I know anyone who knows Mr Harvey and I’m sure I don’t want to find out. Akaky works because I know I will never have to explain some of the things he writes and says to the people whose actions become the basis of the essays. So, again, if you get the invite, just delete it and my apologies for wasting your time in the first place. You know, I think is the longest thing I’ve ever written here that didn’t have a punchline somewhere in it. Onwards and upwards, boys and girls.

Bob, yes i love participating , just like you do…Smiling in..yes u guessed it perfect…We are NOT “too cool for school” here..We are learning from each other endlessly…and u could be absolutely right about the “book” btw, never thought of it! (and yes i need to bring those Compton shots out to the world!)

Lets all stay motivated…i love it if i can motivate anyone, coz u guys totally motivate me, endlessly, constantly raising the bar…every time i shoot its a struggle…coz BURN IS WATCHING!
ONE LOVE y’All!

Panos: i’m serious…i mean, take the best of the portrait stuff from venice, add to that compton, snoop, turkey, greek, sexshow, tx, shane, soth, darkkids, etc…i’m telling you (what i wrote 2 days ago) your best work is always really about portraiture to begin with (and humor, or both togetha)….make sense?…venice stuff and darkkids a part of it….i can see a book; ‘studio p’….think! :)))…and yea, i know some when they publish hate to comment/get involved (some don’t ’cause they’re more quiet to begin with and that’s their nature), but i still think that was makes BURN burn is that combo of pics and dialog…sometimes i wish Lens did the same, but James is a great guy and serves it’s purpose….but there is only 1 burn…ok, must run….:)))

Seeing that you’ve chosen Shane as a subject whose a close friend, do you have difficulties in photographing strangers? This is something I have an immense problems with and I can’t get over it. I see people who are extremely interesting, photogenic or whatever, whilst out walking, but I’m pretty shy with strangers and I’m honestly normally not to interested in doing a Petersen and introducing myself talking about my life and theirs and spending 24 hours with them. So most of the time I don’t take the photo because I’m not into sneaking a photo. Is this a problem I only suffer or is it something pretty common?

If you take a picture of a complete stranger, and s/he can see, or COULD see you take the picture, ’cause you’re not hiding the camera, there’s no sneaking.. you don’t have to spend 24 hours with them.. with some, yes, with others not.. just try! Only thing you risk is a no..

‘because I’m not into sneaking a photo.’ There is this point where you get people so familiar with you and your camera being there, that they forget you…and then they maybe drop their guard..and then if you are really lucky.. you get a shot at a shot. Then its all luck and skill and maybe a little drop of some kind of unexplainable shit. serendipity maybe.

……or, you can just bully a picture, force people out of their masks, Make them show you what they are for a brief moment. shout, scream, abuse, insult, snide…whatever needs to be done to get the shot.
belittle them, flatter them..ignore them..threaten them…….all can work.

I was thinking about you this afternoon as I watched this very attractive woman with a left totally tattooed arm, thinking how you would go about it and I came to the conclusion you would probably bully a picture mixed in with that strange lovely character you’ve got which made Eva and I really adore you :)!!
By the time I’d finished thinking the woman had left :))))

Paul :)
I’m about to write a long long answer to your “strangers” question,
great great question, but right after I read John Gladdy’s “answer/theory suggestions ” I’ll have say that John wrote something brilliant above and I have a hard tine topping it off..
But in general yes.. I enter their lives first only if I’m genuinely interested in them otherwise trust me the ,quick no connections, will be obvious in photos , picture will suck and I wasted my day boring myself to death..!!!
Yes I’ll do anything for a photo, I’ll stab u and twist your arm , but YOU WILL KNOW IT.. it won’t happen through a long lens nor behind yours/anyone’s back!!!!

Carlo,
In my particular case here, I got a model release since Xmas when I worked on a short film about his health ..( a short film that Bob talked about it earlier- never been posted here or Anywhere else though.. So these latest HEAT photos was no problem .. Like John Gladdy SAYS: I got in his life first, under his skin..lol… I convinced him about my artistic intentions long time ago!

The “lol” thing goes to the “under his skin” joke..
But my experience working with GOLDBERG and PELEGRIN (assisting them) is that yes you/they asked tons of PERMISSIONS/gain access… etc…you know sometimes you or someone that’s helping you might have to do lots lots and lots of phonecalls!!

All :good news for posting long comments..
No need to type anything anymore.. Use the app DRAGON DICTATE and SPEAK your text, and types it and post it on Burn or anywhere. And all that while driving!!!

Carlo , big thanks and soonest.. But First I Gotta put all my attention to “BURN-ED GARDEN” exhibition right now..
And right after fly to Civil- GRECOLANDIA to see what the street fighters are doing!;)

you are welcome Panos!
no rush…i’m also off for a few weeks to India.
Hoping to shoot something good…multimedia…video and stills.
I have the story and ideas…execution…well….that’s the tough one :)
might be silent for awhile. I don’t know how well the connection will be while there.
All the best in Grecolandia with civilian and the chickens!

BTW I’ve given up on Bengy for the moment. You’re quite right “The sound and fury” is not the right book to get introduced to Faulkner. Besides I’ve got enough Bengys in my neighbourhood, so I’m currently enjoying immensely all the other stories in that Kindle book on Faulkner.

Paul, it depends. I’m lousy at people photography here in our happy little burg because everyone knows who I am and I have to live here. So as a rule I don’t do people pix here unless there’s a parade or a festival or it’s on a weekend when the tourists show up to shop for antiques. I don’t know who they are and they don’t know me from a hole in the ground and I don’t feel any compunction about letting IRL violate what few rights to privacy these people have in a public place. The other problem with doing people pix here is that decisive moments are few and far between; if I’m in the wrong place at the wrong time of day, I’ve missed it until the next one occurs, which is usually the following Wednesday when I am at work. So there are few people pix of happy little burg people in Burn’s submissions folder. There are lots of them from NYC, though. When I go down to the city, I am there to maximize the number of people pix and if they don’t like it then they can go suck eggs. And it’s easier to vanish in the city; you round a corner and you are in another reality. The immense size and the immense crowds allow for that sort of thing.

As for TSATF, I thought that might happen. The Unvanquished is the easiest place to start, that and the short stories and As I lay dying. You might want to try Sanctuary as well-sex, violence, lynchings, and corn on the cob. You can’t beat it.

Thanks for the link. Interesting how Henri Cartier Bresson’s advice was;“Walk softly and slowly, if you are moving quickly and stop suddenly, the people you are about to photograph will react to the change of pace in their peripheral vision and become aware of you.”
I listened to an interview with Anders Petersen who said he went walking once with Koudelka whilst taking photos and it seems Koudelka was quite the opposite, walking at high speed taking photos of everything. Although I think HCB’s advice makes more sense to me.

Paul. Not really. I think thats one of the last speakers corner pictures from a couple of weeks ago. Have stopped shooting it now. I very much like the shot and it just seemed to fit with panos’s title.
need to find something new that makes me need to shoot it. Have surgery scheduled for november and a whole bunch of boring clinic shit to go through till then…and then maybe a road trip. Who knows???

I’m sure you’ll find a RoadTrip inspiring. Of course the typical suggestion would be to advice you to find something interesting whilst going through all that boring clinic shit…but as you damn well know it’s quite enough just being there without adding more complications with a camera.

Erica, i appreciate your comment so much..thank u very very much…
btw, i still hope for a print for Burn-ED Garden exhibition,- if u have the time-, coz i know you guys (You and ANDREW Sullivan are very very busy and thats AWESOME..
(Andrew S, if u read this , i didnt forget u..wish i could twist your arm (both of you guys) and receive a print!
Again, either way, big hug, one love…!

hey there – I’m a bit out of the loop re garden exhibit, whatwhenwhere? and yes am stupid busy but not w Andrew – we finished our collab workshop in May, and tho he may be stupid busy elsewhere :) our collaboration is just in the workshops, the develop bag, and workload, I’m afraid, is my own.

Panos- Thanks for the arm twist! I’ve been planning to send you a print for a couple of weeks, but now I’ll put it in the mail for you next week. Looking forward to hearing all about this endeavor. Love the idea!

time to showcase not only to the world our work but also to prove ourselves that we can deliver when needed , fast fast fast…

panos skoulidas

August 5, 2011 at 3:11 pm

ok let me cut through the chase here….we are talking about a big HUGE BURN EXHIBITION! DAVID already started this long time ago..nothing new here..im not an innovator i know, i know…but follow me please for a second and you might like my idea…

Anyway CHECK THIS OUT…. i found a venue…A great gallery , in a great community that will host a BURN EXHIBITION…

ok before we go into details, i need to say this..First i made sure i got a space for me, the original plan was for me to do a SOLO exhibition and be the cool guy etc…Of course i agreed and all was fine until couple nights ago i woke up with this bright idea , practically stolen from DAH..lol

Why Solo?

How about a BURN exhibition?

GREAAAAAAAAAAAAAT! i thought..but immediately i saw the problem..

WHo am i to choose who should be included and who not?

Is it an inner circle jerk elite in Burn? How do i get in Burn? How do i belong? I havent published an essay yet..am i good enough? and other thoughts of this kind ..

so i scratched and scratched and scratched my head and then BOOM I GOT IT…

the NAME OF THE EXHIBITION WILL BE :” BURN-ed GARDEN” (First i thought salad instead of garden), or “Burn ,The Last Minute Compilation”…

you see i want to promote BURN and us the photogs so check this out yo..

DEAL IS THIS…:READY?

panos skoulidas

August 5, 2011 at 3:33 pm

EACH ONE OF US/YOU/ALL OF US/ANY OF US/YOU that wants to be included and participate in the EXHIBITION That will take place / premiere at 8th of october 2011 in SA Texas and will probably move on to europe or Sydney etc..

AGREEMENT IS THAT 50% OF THE SALE OF THE PHOTOGRAPH, (IF SOLD OF COURSE) goes to THE PHOTOGRAPHER and 50% donated immediately to Burn Magazine)-(gallery gets 30% of the deal)

FEEL FREE TO PRICE YOUR PHOTO TOO IF YOU LIKE but i promise i will try to sell it in a higher price.

Well why am i doing this? Well why not?

I can still do a solo exhibition later and still impress the community but hey hey wait!

Whats best? Just one photographer only? or a bunch of geniuses here from Burn on a gallery wall????

I already have the OK FROM THE GALLERY..

ALL READY TO START..

IM GONNA DO IT ANYWAYS AND I WILL EXHIBIT…BUT ANYONE WANTS TO JOIN?????

HONESTLY ANY BURNIAN I KNOW HAS AT LEAST ONE GREAT/ICONIC photo at their disposal, on e photo signature, one photo that feels “you”..! well that is the photo i want from you to SHOWCASE , bring it to the collectors and even sell it if possible…One thing for sure i know we will have tons of people in the premiere opening night in the gallery and it will be a great party!

AGAIN, RULES? NO RULES..ONLY TIME MATTERS..i know u guys have the photos ready..maybe not printed yet but ready.. Now SIZE? any size u like..THE BIGGER THE BETTER..but plz at least bigger than 11×14(min), NOT FRAMED (put a sticker on the back with name and sign it to be nice with your customers)again, gallery takes 30%, and from the rest 50% to you and 50% to Burn for Support/Donations to keep the magazine alive..again its a win win situation..

Its a Burn collection, no theme, no “best” or this or that..no labels..just a burn party somewhere in the heart of america , in the heart of the Lone Star Land..im sure Austin and SA will totally support us!

Name of the gallery is 1-9-0-6 run by multifaceted talented owner Andy Benavides and again

BURN EXHIBITION PREMIERE is at 8th of October till November the 4th!

WANNA PLAY? ALL WELCOME!

Email me to send u address in the texas gallery to send the prints that i will personally handle etc etc blah blah..im expecting a DAH photo too , hopefully not the most expensive one from his collection!

panos skoulidas

August 5, 2011 at 3:42 pm

because its all a matter of time…not enough time… please send them/prints as fast as possible although u are still good and “in” even if i get your print 7 days prior the 8th of october…Again , no theme, b&w is ok, color ok, all photo manipulations ok, everything , anything ok, as long as its GREAT!!!!!!!!!!

Andrea Morrow, Spokesperson for the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) said the top priority right now is public drinking water supplies. Surface water, she said, refers to water that comes from lakes and rivers. And sometimes, depending on the location of a community, a big lake may be residents’ only source of water.
So what do you do when when that lake dries up?
“We’re just praying for rain,” Brown County Emergency Management Coordinator, Brent Bush, said.

are you going to Greece now? we were thinking of bringing you here to document Diego’s 40th birthday party in Rio…..Diego might not even be here…..i told him no matter…there was going to be a big Happy 40th Diego no matter if he was there or not!! that ought to bring him..cause he knows damn well i will have a big party in his honor without him..for sure…so he will not want to miss it….i am pretty sneaky , yes??